ADKHighPeaks - Adirondack Trip Reportshttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/
Recent trip and information about trail conditions and trips taken.enSat, 17 Feb 2018 16:07:36 GMTvBulletin60images/misc/rss.pngADKHighPeaks - Adirondack Trip Reportshttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/
Street and Nye 2/14/18 Easy Streethttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/trail-conditions-aa/484056-street-and-nye-2-14-18-easy-street
Thu, 15 Feb 2018 03:34:02 GMTThis trail has had a lot of traffic since the last snowfall. Very well defined track from HPIC to summits. Crossing of Indian Pass Brook very solid...This trail has had a lot of traffic since the last snowfall. Very well defined track from HPIC to summits. Crossing of Indian Pass Brook very solid as of 2/14. Minor blowdown (not fresh) and some postholes approaching and beyond col. A couple of errant tracks had been clearly blocked off as such with sticks. Snowshoes door to door. Trail Conditionsgreenvthttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/trail-conditions-aa/484056-street-and-nye-2-14-18-easy-streetLower Wolf Jaws 2018-02-10http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/484049-lower-wolf-jaws-2018-02-10
Thu, 15 Feb 2018 02:53:13 GMTThere was room to spare in the Garden Parking Lot, donning my snowshoes, the trail to JBL was well packed, with sufficient snow coverage to hide all...
After reaching Five Corners and crossing over the Orebed Brook Trail, I continued straight ahead towards Wolfjaw Brook. Trees were laden with snow and the open forest was a winter wonderland.
At the brook crossing, there was more drifting of snow in this area, nothing to complain about. I continued on to the next open area, the crossing a small slide. This too had some drifting snow which was easily negotiated.
Most of the snow from above, had settled below.
I reached the Wolf Jaw Trail which eventually intersected the ADK Range Trail.

Shortly thereafter, the WA White Trail led to the Lower WolfJaw summit. This final approach is quite steep and there were a few icy steps that I found difficult to get any hold on with my snowshoes, so I opted for my Hillsound trail crampons. I stayed in these for a few more steps and then went back to snowshoes as now by late morning, the temperature was rising and snow conditions were getting softer. As I neared the summit, muted views of Big Slide across Johns Brook Valley could be seen.
As well as Johns Brook Valley.
With these limited views and having reached the summit, I turned around and headed back to the Wolf Jaw col. On my descent, I knew where the icy steps were, but on one of them, my footing slipped, over extending my left leg and I could feel discomfort in every step from there on out. While I had anticipated climbing Upper Wolf Jaw, I decided to call it a day. Not sure what I aggravated, but I am still being reminded of whatever it is. All in all, great conditions for a walk in the woods, and my nineteenth winter peak.]]>Adirondack Trip ReportsSeaLevelhttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/484049-lower-wolf-jaws-2018-02-10http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/484025-haba-sswr-finish-february-13
Wed, 14 Feb 2018 20:51:14 GMTOne of the things about winter hiking which keeps me interested is that every year is different. This year a prominent feature was the frequent below...
I usually hike Haystack-Basin-Saddleback as a group but the snow last week followed by rain and warm weather over the weekend made me consider climbing the cliffs on Saddleback unwise. There was no way to know, and I didnÂ’t want to get there and find out it was a technical ice climb beyond my ability. There was a serious injury and rescue there the week before. So Monday, Feb. 12, I enjoyed a trip to Saddleback via the Orebed trail on a mostly frozen hard trail.

I set out for Ha-Ba from the Garden at 7 a.m. You guessed it, the temperature was 0°F for most of the morning. I was surprised that the trail to Horse Hill was mostly hard-packed by hikers (and the weather). None of the usual trailbreaking in knee-deep snow. I got a big surprise at the view of the ice covering Little Haystack and Haystack, glistening in the morning sun. I was following recent tracks, maybe from the day before, which turned around at the foot of Little Haystack.

I made it to the top of Little Haystack on snowshoes but saw that I would need to change to my Kahtoola K10 crampons for the descent. I carefully worked my way down to the little step and found the rocks mostly clear of ice but the sloping landing ledge was covered with snow. I reached down with my hiking pole and broke out a boot-sized spot which was trustworthy, then carefully lowered myself down onto it and quickly got to a safer location. For climbing Haystack I threaded my way away from the ice and toward the rock, snow and crust. The summit was completely covered by a glaze of clear ice but I was happy to be there. The descent was easier than I thought it would be, as I mostly followed my tracks. Even ascending the little step was easy. It was a great relief to have lunch at the trail junction.

The descent to the Haystack brook col was easy in the crusty, consolidated snow and I was soon climbing Basin. The Shorey's trail and Basin trail were completely postholed, making snowshoeing difficult. I was happy to see that the postholers stopped right below the ladder. I guess they didn't like the looks of the ice at the top, or maybe they were just worn out. After what I went through on Haystack I barely noticed the ice on the summit of Basin, my 46th peak for the 2017-2018 season.

Some statistics: This yearÂ’s round comprised 17 hiking days over a total of 55 days. Nine of the hikes were over 8 hours duration. Total distance was 286 miles. Total time was 135 hours. Total ascent was about 79,000 feet. These numbers are similar to past years. Here is the list:

I had a strong team lined up (Mastergrasshopper, Alistair and Great Expectations (Matt) and we easily made our way up to the Wright junction with Matt and Alistair breaking through about 3 inches of new snow over a firm base. Wright was cold, windy and icy but do-able in snowshoes if you exercised care.

Wright summit with Matt Marsh and Glen.

Algonquin was amazing in a near whiteout but before we reached tree-line I got a cool photo of two friends descending Wright. While we dropped towards the Iroquois col the light and visibility changed continuously with veiled views opening up and disappearing rapidly. The herd path was not broken but was easy to follow and the wind had packed it down well. No issues. It was a beautiful crossing. Glen led us way over to the right and we avoided all steep sections. The icy crust held us with no breaking through.

On our way to Iroquois.

Back at the junction Alistair headed out over Algonquin due to a broken snowshoe while the three of us descended in very deep powder snow to Lake Colden. What a soft descent! Not very quick due to the deep snow but very soft. Out on the lake we picked up and followed a lone set of snowshoe tracks to the Colden dam and then found a well-packed trail to the lean-to at Herbert Brook. The trail ended there. We broke trail in 8 inches of new snow over a good base with a discernible groove where the trail was. Progress was good and energy expenditure (both mental and physical) was very reasonable.
Then we followed a wrong herd path. Glen was not liking it so I outed with my compass (I always put one around my neck when I get dressed in the morning) and map and determined that we were going the wrong way. We plunge stepped down towards Herbert Brook, found the correct herd path and kept going. Then we completely lost the path and burned about an hour of daylight before using map, compass and altimeter to guide us. Progress with no underlying base was decidedly slower and energy sapping. It was now 4:20 pm and we were about 300 vertical feet below the summit. No sign of the vly anywhere and so we decided to make “the turn” towards the summit and pray. All of a sudden it was 100% clear that we were back on the herd path.
The snow was so deep that we felt no discernible base below our snowshoes. Progress was now very slow and fatigue was upon us. We rotated leads often with the leader going as hard as he could then stepping aside when he felt too much fatigue. It seemed to take a long time but finally, we saw the summit sign.

We earned this one!

Glen took my picture and we turned tail. Back at the lean-to it was dark and chilly but we took our time in fueling and drinking before the long walk out. Crossing the lakes in the pitch black night with snow falling and swirling about our headlamp beams was just one more of the magical and unforgettable moments of Project-100.

Alistair, Jean and I began without Mastergrasshopper who was slow in getting away from Randomscoots. We tramped and tramped our way to the Bradley Pond lean-to and soaking wet already dropped packs and began the steep .37 mile whack in very deep snow. Thanks to a tracklog I had from a trip from Henderson Lake over Henderson to the lean-to we had mostly open woods. But, the trees were totally covered in loose snow that showered us copiously and repeatedly. There was no sense brushing ourselves off. One hour to go up, 15 minutes back down.

Alistair carries a load of snow up Henderson.

We decided to not stop at the lean-to, just grab a quick gulp of water, shoulder the packs and keep generating body heat. Soaking wet clothing transmits heat away from you very efficiently. We made Herald Square and Panther without incident and at Times Square saw MG and an arrow towards Couch etched in the snow.

Henderson summit sign. Tree hit by blowdown.

Glen, as Alistair has surmised went directly out to Couch to break the trail. (We knew the trail had only been broken to Panther.) We had an easy trip down to the swamp and met Glen on the first bump. He was in fine spirits, totally in his element on his way home from breaking trail out to Couch. We made the grueling trip back up to Times Square and made it down Panther Brook in record time being able to go into a split stance and ski on perfect snow. The road walk was a bit of a slog and we made it out for something like an 11-hour day.

My plan called for a return the next morning to finish the job with big and little Santanonis.

All fresh and clean at Marcy Dam! Maude and Marie-Josée smiled all day.

The forecast was calling for rain and temps in the low 40’s. Santa was not broken out and Henderson gave us a small sampling of what to expect whacking to L. Santa. I had a reduced team (MJO and Mayasoleil were my fresh horses from Quebec) holed up in a motel in Schroon Lake and Alistair was too beat up to join us. I made the call (ie. a phone call) and informed my, now two only, partners that the Santas were out, MSG was in. This would normally be an “easy out”, which was good because, thanks to Marshall, I was feeling the previous 2 days a fair bit.

The lenticular-shaped cloud lay directly over our route! Taken from L. Arnold-Opalescent trail.

Turned out to be really hard due to cling-on snow that piled up thickly under our snowshoes.

Lest’s get outta here!

After Gray and Skylight we crossed Marcy in incredible conditions but we were totally prepared and loaded. Visibility was the poorest I'’ve ever done it in. Wind was about 40 mph. and freezing rain drove at us sideways. Our worst-case scenario was to use our freshly recorded tracklogs to go back to 4 Corners and exit via Lake Arnold.

We navigated with a cell phone and not one but two gps’'s. Mine has become unreliable and a new one is on order so I carried a spare from Tom. But the best tools were my memory and my compass.

Happy to be here!

The descent of the Van Ho was mentally very sketchy in the roaring wind. We only saw the first two cairns so we stopped regularly and I verified my gps, got bearings from projecting the cursor and followed the compass. We also checked M-J’s Gaia app on her phone until it crapped out. We saw some familiar landmarks and as a special bonus we even saw a paint blaze through some ice. Below the cone we picked up a ski trail that dead-ended in the gully and with relief followed it to the Phelps junction.

The remainder of the hike was just a long, long but pleasantly-paced walk. We were soaking-wet and our packs weighed a ton with sopping wet gear that we had shed continuously and strategically as we progressed throughout our day. In falling darkness and clearing skies the wind positively roared as we walked out from Marcy Dam. I kept checking the tree-tops for signs of snapping trunks but no such worries came about.

Marie-Josée and Maude were awesome partners as were Alistair, Glen, Jean and Matt. In fact, one of the best things about this project is all the amazing hiking partners I’ve been blessed with so far.]]>Adirondack Trip ReportsNumNumhttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483957-february-9-10-11-the-macs-henderson-panther-and-couch-gray-skylight-marcyAvalanche Lake Ski (from UW) Sat 2.10http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/trail-conditions-aa/483927-avalanche-lake-ski-from-uw-sat-2-10
Mon, 12 Feb 2018 12:09:52 GMTWas going to hike to summits but the excellent ski conditions were irresistible. Skied from Upper Works to Avalanche Lake. It was a beautiful day in...
Evidence of post-holing on the trail, but the powder was deep enough to not be a bother. Passed a couple carrying snowshoes on their packs. Heard about another larger group not using snowshoes or skis.

Makes no sense to me, How is bare-booting in deep snow easier than wearing snowshoes?]]>Trail ConditionsDLhikerhttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/trail-conditions-aa/483927-avalanche-lake-ski-from-uw-sat-2-10Marshall sunday 2/11/18http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483923-marshall-sunday-2-11-18
Mon, 12 Feb 2018 02:27:39 GMTWas a good hike. Met two people in the Upper Works parking lot and we agreed to hike together. Trail was mostly broken out, maybe 4 inches new...Was a good hike. Met two people in the Upper Works parking lot and we agreed to hike together. Trail was mostly broken out, maybe 4 inches new snow. 2.5 hours to Herbert brook leanto. On/off rain and sleet thru the day, snow got stickier thru the day. I had read recent posts about people going astray on marshall and sure enough despite an easy to follow track we lost it for about 40 min. Was a tough whack thru the deep snow and dense woods. 3 hours to peak. About hour an 15 min down to lean to where we changed to dry clothing. Quick hike out to the car, 9 hours all total, uneventful day. Not much to be had of views or wildlifeAdirondack Trip Reportsdoldreohttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483923-marshall-sunday-2-11-18Beaver Meadow Trail from Lake Rd to Gothicshttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/trail-conditions-aa/483914-beaver-meadow-trail-from-lake-rd-to-gothics
Sun, 11 Feb 2018 22:57:13 GMTTrail ConditionsBucknuthttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/trail-conditions-aa/483914-beaver-meadow-trail-from-lake-rd-to-gothicsSantanonis update Feb 9http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/trail-conditions-aa/483887-santanonis-update-feb-9
Sat, 10 Feb 2018 01:32:55 GMTSuper-optimistically we left Bradley Pond lot hoping to reach Couch. The 14”new snow had other plans. Two young bucks, about an hour ahead of us,...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk]]>Trail Conditions50somethinghttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/trail-conditions-aa/483887-santanonis-update-feb-9Rescue on Saddleback?http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483792-rescue-on-saddleback
Wed, 07 Feb 2018 11:00:28 GMTGot wind of a rescue on SB in the past few days but little detail. Said hiker fell from a cliff and hurt leg- long rescue operation. Anyone have more...Got wind of a rescue on SB in the past few days but little detail. Said hiker fell from a cliff and hurt leg- long rescue operation. Anyone have more than the AP account, which was sparse?Adirondack Trip Reports2505http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483792-rescue-on-saddlebackMount Marcy 2/3/18http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483737-mount-marcy-2-3-18
Tue, 06 Feb 2018 01:26:05 GMTThe Garden into JBL was a fast track. I wore Hill Sound Trail Crampons and they performed great going into JBL. The trip took about 1 hour and 10...Adirondack Trip Reportslemonhead24http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483737-mount-marcy-2-3-18http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483733-the-best-view-was-from-cathedral-rock-%C2%96-2-3-18-2-4-18
Mon, 05 Feb 2018 23:10:44 GMTWhen you hike both days of the weekend in the Adirondacks and the best views end up being from the Cathedral Rock fire tower you know something has...Azure Mountain – I was the only person on the mountain. Summit was socked in and I didn't even bother climbing the tower. Snapped a few quick pics and headed back down. The highlight of the visit was testing out a new piece of gear - the ColdAvenger Classic Fleece Mask. Read more details about it in my post here... http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/f...ic-fleece-mask

Mount Arab – Better planning last winter would have saved me yet another trip to Mount Arab. Me and a buddy hiked the Tupper Triad (which includes Arab) on December 20, 2016 - the first official day of the winter season for that challenge. We were happy to exploit the winter patch loophole that day but if we had just waited until December 21st I could have counted Arab toward my winter FT Challenge round as well. Oh well, why not go back to Arab for the 4th time, right? As if visits for the regular FTC round plus the 3-season and winter Tupper Triads weren't enough to get a feel for this mountain. Anyway, as I pulled into the parking area two van loads of hikers from a prestigious north country college were gearing up. A party of fourteen... all barebooting. They got moving uphill just before me. Their youthful energy, five minute head start, and thirty fewer years of wear & tear on their knees enabled them to beat me to the summit. Just as well. I prefer hiking alone to being anywhere near a group that large. When I arrived at the tower all fourteen were in the cab together. Seemed awfully crowded, and perhaps unsafe, but they all fit. Once they came down I climbed a few flights of stairs to get above the trees revealing what I had anticipated - no views whatsoever at this tower either. I descended about five minutes after the collegiate barebooters and caught up with them at the register. During my brief exposure to them they seemed very friendly, enthusiastic, and the leader gave numerous brief lectures on a variety of topics related to winter hiking. The only criticism I have for the group is the lack of traction devices.

Cathedral Rock – my last stop of the day was about two hours behind schedule due to the driving conditions. This tower is on the grounds of the SUNY-ESF Ranger School in Wanakena. I was the only visitor on the campus and I double-timed it up the Latham Trail (trail #10) to the tower. I was surprised to find any views at all but was happy to get them. I climbed the tower, signed the log book, snapped some pics, and hoofed it back to the parking lot as fast as I could, beating sunset by three minutes. By time I cleaned up and got rolling home twilight was fading. The miserable four hour drive home over slippery roads in the pitch dark left me exhausted.

I got some decent sleep then headed back out Sunday morning. This would be a shorter day out as I only planned ticking off the final few hikes of my Chester Challenge winter round. I figured the short itinerary would get me home in plenty of time for the Super Bowl. The driving was horrible yet again. Everything north of Saratoga was a mess but I made it to Kipp Mt and Cougar Hill. Went up and down both rather quickly and it snowed the entire time I was out. No views to speak of from either. Over the summer I finished the Chester Challenge in one day. For the winter round I took two leisurely visits... so whoop-de-do... a lackluster completion of an easy list. I managed not to fall during my two days out until I was within fifty yards of the parking lot on my final stop. At Cougar Hill I fell down an embankment next to the football field (the trail system is behind the local High School) just seconds before the end of my short hike. It was a huge spill where I tumbled down about twenty feet and slammed my knee. I'm glad nobody saw me. The last thing I need at my age is a bunch of mean girls cyberbullying me over my clumsiness. I changed for the ride home in the parking lot just as the snow began falling more heavily then drove over to the Crossroads Store to sign the Chester Challenge log book and pick up the not-so-hard-earned winter patch. It's a nice design that's different from their summer patch. The drive south was a mess again until around Saratoga and I got home in plenty of time to settle in for the big game.

Rough weekend. The hiking part wasn't super strenuous but the driving was mentally exhausting. I guess if you waited for perfect winter hiking weather you'd never leave the house. The final tally for the two days out was finishing another list and knocking off fire towers #15, #16, and #17 toward the FT Challenge winter round.

Pics from the weekend. Boy there is a lot of gray in these...

Azure fire tower....

Another look....

The glorious view from Azure...

Mount Arab fire tower...

The observer's cabin from a few flights up the tower...

The stellar view from Arab...
]]>Adirondack Trip ReportsMakwahttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483733-the-best-view-was-from-cathedral-rock-%C2%96-2-3-18-2-4-18Dial Mt. 2/4/2018http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483691-dial-mt-2-4-2018
Mon, 05 Feb 2018 02:29:42 GMTHiked Dial Mt. on 2/4/2018 solo Arrived at the AMR and took off up to Lake Rd. Signed in at 8:30am and was off. It was snowing only very lightly....

Sidenote: Vented my Apex today and stayed considerably dry and had no frost buildup whatsoever. However, I was cold as hell all the way up. It may be the "right" thing to do but I was cold. Came down from Dial into a covered spot. Put that Thermoball on and was like "ahhhhhh yes!!!!" I felt so much better almost immediately. The Apex worked great with two pit zips open the whole way. Stayed dry and never felt wet. I'm working this system out. Again thanks for all the advice guys. Always hoping I'll run into another rogue forum member out there

It all started Thursday morning at 3:30 am when my alarm went off at home in Laval. By 7:30 Joe and I began the long approach to Saw-4. It was 0 degrees and would never get any warmer all day. The approach I used from Averyville is long and very pleasant with no issues, no thick areas. The first 90 minutes are on the Pine Pond Rd. and an old woods road, which ends at a lumber camp.
Joe and I hiked at my 100 peak pace, knowing I would be hiking on the morrow as well. Our goal was to do 4 and 2 for sure and see about 1. Near the end of my route you ascend south towards the 4-2 col along a drainage and then make a sharp turn west towards the summit. We were able to save time and energy by walking directly on the frozen surface of the drainage for a lengthy spell. The ice was very thick. We made the turn and gradually the slope became steeper and steeper. At about 3100′ where the slope becomes very steep we dropped our packs. I have a string of waypoints for this final section and whenever I use it the way is surprisingly clear. Whenever I don’t the route is a difficult time and energy sink. I kept calling out the bearing changes to Joe who would stop and dial the new bearing into his compass.
It took us 6 hours to make it to the top and observed aloud that my best time was 4h30.
The descent to our packs was very quick of course and the walk to my favorite campsite in the 4-2 col was pretty quick too. We already knew that Saw-1 wasn’t happening and this relieved some pressure. I had us ascending 2 a bit too far to the left and we encountered a series of cliffs until I had us deviate further right and from there on in it was just steep. However the cold played on us and keeping it all together in such rugged and forbidding surroundings was key. You looked up and saw a massive wall of granite plastered in tannin-stained vertical ice. Then you looked up even higher and saw frost-encrusted trees branches in the wind and you knew you had to find a way up.
Joe really needed to see the summit saddle blowdown field so we took a look at it before scuttling down to the east side and side-hilling then climbing steep slopes to where you turn for the true summit bump. Once again we left the packs and the final bit was straight up and grueling in the extreme. The wind was bone-chilling and when Joe asked if I wanted a picture I said “no, it’s too cold” and down we went. It was 4:30 and daylight was fading. My brain knew just how beautiful the view was but this wasn’t the time to sit back and enjoy it.
I had the route from 2 to 1 in my gps but not the route we would be taking to pick up our inbound trail, some 2.5 miles distant. This made the navigating a bit more fastidious but I could look at the paper map, project the gps cursor in the general direction we needed to go and then we used our compasses to hike in a straight line. It wasn’t dark yet so we could also use the surounding ridges as landmarks until it became pitch dark. Luckily, we had open woods the entire way and the headlamps easily picked out the open lanes. Whoever was in front checked their compass nearly every minute and I would check the gps and map every 10 minutes or so.
We were happy to (finally!) step onto our inbound tracks and turn our navigating brains to the off position. It was -9F back at the car. Total time was 13 hours and change. I did not open my pack once all day. Didn’t change any of my clothes, did not drink any water at all and only ate the food that was in my jacket pocket. I never felt thirsty all day long.
The coldest part of the day was the drive back to ‘Scoots where Jean and MJO had been following the Spot. I got in at 9:30 and once I was wearing dry clothes, and while I was feeding we discussed the plan for the rest of the Sawtooths.

We woke-up at 4:30am and began hiking from Averyville at 6:18am on the button.
Took us 2 hours 30 minutes via the “Old NPT” to get to the lean-to at Moose Pond and another hour finding and losing the trail south to our jump-off point. We walked right on the creek for about .5 miles and then we entered the woods and began what started as an easy ascent through open woods with firm footing. That ended abruptly and I believe it took us over an hour to cover a half-mile to the summit due to steep slopes combined with thick woods and less than ideal snow conditions. It was past noon when we departed the summit and descended the steeps slopes of #3. Route picking was a constant challenge and all 3 of us participated whether we were in the lead position or at the back. The ascent of #5 is only 600 feet but it is very steep and it really kicked my butt. We stopped on top for 10 minutes for food and pictures and I was so cold I had to get out of there and move as fast as possible through the deep snow to the low point. Just before our departure Jean said 2:30pm. We had both hoped for 2pm. Sawtooth #1 was still a long way away. It would probably be dark when we summited.
We found a drainage we could walk in and it was going our way so we followed it until it became too narrow. We entered the open vly at the 2-1 col and walked along the east side. I was now checking the gps frequently and calling out compass bearings. We walked north until about even with the summit and then, following crucial waypoints I have painfully collected over the years, we circumnavigated the summit in an ascending arc. It was crucial that we avoid the cliff route, which would be solid ice, and that we avoid the “evil gully”. The ascending was extremely difficult and the wind blew very cold. We were rotating leads frequently. We arrived right at the head of the “evil gully”, saw the cliffs we had avoided studiously and I had Marie-José, who was leading, side-hill until past the gully and then the rubber really hit the road. We could see the summit bloc and in fading daylight with the wind blowing through us we looked way, way up and saw the snow-encased trees waving to and fro. The summit looked straight up above us. The slopes were ice-caked in many places there were steep channels of snow . It was intimidatingly steep and the cold wind sawed at us relentlessly. Long story short, we made the summit, M-J took a selfie of us next to the sign and then we got the Hell out of there. Following our tracks we got down the steepest section to our exit point in no time. It was about there that the battery case of my gps sprung open and the unit itself went flying into the snow while the battery cover dangled uselessly at the end of the lanyard. I found the unit, without its (white) batteries and Jean had a fresh set of Lithium batteries out in less than a minute.
Then it was down, down, down through open woods and soft snow along a bearing that would serve us well for hours to come. The headlamps in the not-quite-totally-dark woods picked out the openings and we made excellent time until we hit wall after wall of very thick woods. We tried deviating but finally decided to push through along our compass bearing. After 30 very slow minutes we hit open woods again, which followed all the way out to Joe and my trail on the Old Woods Road from the night before. The night was jet black but we could see near-by treetops looming out of the sky.
Back at the car I couldn’t believe it when I saw the time. We had been out for 14 hours barely stopping, never sitting down and fighting the cold while expending energy continuously. When I finally lay my body down to rest and my head hit the pillow relief and contentment passed through me like a wave. Bright eyed in the parking area. 2h30m later at Moose Pond. Wish I had a river… Moose Creek super highway. Hamming it up while still fresh. Summit of 5. 2:30 and looking rough around the edges. Saw 1-2 col vly. Not an oft-visited place. Sawtooth 1. MJO is now at 99 peaks and happy!

]]>Adirondack Trip ReportsNumNumhttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483685-the-5-sawtooths-in-two-daysAllenhttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483653-allen
Fri, 02 Feb 2018 18:21:27 GMTClimbed Allen yesterday (2/2/18). The trail had been broken out, was hard packed and a little icy. All water crossings were in good shape and easy to...
The hike out was long and uneventful. That’s the longest approach I have done in many years. It’s no wonder I have left it til the end. I’m at 43/46 of this winter round and I’m looking forward to finishing up soon. Hough, South Dix and Macomb left.]]>Adirondack Trip ReportsNalshttp://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/adirondack-trip-reports/483653-allen